Introducing The Local Austria

With 8.5 million people in the heart of Europe, Austria is an oft-overlooked nexus of culture, cake and music. The Local is ready to shine a light on what happens in the centre of Europe.

The Local is excited to announce that it has just added another country to the family, with a new team in Vienna, Austria. Our team will be reporting the best of Austrian news: the quirky, the unusual, the noteworthy, and the things that make you go "hmmm". From Conchita Wurst to other famous Austrians and their doings world-wide, we have the country covered.

Originally from the UK, news editor Rosie Waites lived in Vienna for four years after studying at Oxford. She worked for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) before leaving to work in London for the BBC, and after 10 years in the Big Smoke she is pleased to be back in Austria to edit the new edition of The Local.

Key Account Manager Romana Lakinger studied structural engineering, but switched careers to script-writing and sales. After extensive travels to the USA, India and all over Europe, she lived in London for a few years to complete her studies as a writer. She returned to Vienna in 2011 and joined The Local in 2014, where she handles Austrian sales.

Paul Gillingwater takes care of business development for The Local Austria, and occasionally commits premeditated acts of journalism. He has worn many hats (some of them quite stylish), in the fields of Internet business, security, nuclear energy, industrial development and documentary filmmaking. Under pressure, he admits to working for Press TV, as well as helping to establish The Vienna Review newspaper (sadly now defunct after seven years.)

Oh, and the Schnitzel? It's very popular here, but vegetarians might prefer the tasty chocolate sponge cake from the Hotel Sacher, together with a cup of Viennese coffee topped with whipped cream. Mahlzeit!

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Suicide letters believed to have been written by the mistress of Austria’s Crown Prince Rudolf, 17-year-old Mary Vetsera, before her untimely death have been found in an archive of the private Schoeller bank.
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Austria's main refugee processing centre will temporarily halt its intake of asylum seekers at the overcrowded camp, officials said on Friday, after the UN described conditions there as "dangerous and inhumane".
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With city dwellers setting off for much of August in search of 'Sommerfrische', you may be wishing that you too had a cabin by the lake. If you're in search of some natural beauty this summer away from the tourist trails, The Local has some must-see tips.
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Perched on makeshift seats next to a buffet with fresh fruit, elderflower cordial and home-made muffins, neighbours laugh and chat on a leafy patch amid modern apartment blocks in Vienna's 15th district.
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Austria and its capital, Vienna, have so many famous sights that it’s easy to spend a visit working through the list of things the guide book says you have to see. But it might be worth saving a few of those for next time because Austria also has a wealth of weird and wonderfully unique museums that provide a bit of a counterpoint to the mainstream ones.
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New figures from the Federal Criminal Police Office show that the number of people smugglers arrested this year has risen by 25 percent compared to last year. Between January and the end of June almost 350 suspected smugglers were charged. A total of 500 were charged during 2014.
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